Nowadays, the average dental school graduate could face over $300,000 worth of debt. That is a hefty amount for any student to take on, especially now when most of you are dealing with the stress of dental school. Before you start to panic take a deep breath and follow these tips to help you get on the right track if you find yourself beginning to struggle with dental school debt problems.
Choosing the right mentor for you
Navigating your career can be overwhelming, but having a mentor who can help guide you through it can be powerful. Even if you currently don’t have someone you can call a mentor, it’s never too late to find one.
DSO myths & facts
When it comes to the topic of dental support organizations (DSOs), people sometimes get the wrong idea. We’ve heard many misconceptions about what DSOs do and how we do it, so we’ve compiled a list of the most common myths to help individuals decide if DSOs are the right path for them.
Make the most of technology in a dental practice
Look around and see how many people have their noses buried in their cellphones. Maybe you’re even reading this on your cellphone now. We’re deep in the age of technology, and people enjoy the convenience it provides. Through their cellphones, tablets, etc., patients are exposed to reviews about your future dental office, appointment reminders via email, information about treatment from Google – the list goes on. If your business isn’t taking advantage of the technological resources available to you, then it could suffer. Here are some ways technology can help you in practice.
Asking the tough questions during an interview
When preparing for an interview, candidates tend to put a lot of time into preparing solid answers to the questions they will be asked, but few spend that same amount of time thinking of questions to ask the interviewer.
It’s not all about teeth: A communications webinar
Of all the responsibilities in the dental office, one of the most important is building patient relationships. The entire success of the practice depends upon the result of our ability to understand your patients as individuals, recognize and respond to their needs/wants and your ability to guide them to an informed decision that is in their own best interest. The dental school tends to focus on the technical aspects every dentist should have; however strategies on how to effectively communicate with patients isn’t always a focus in the curriculum.
How to be a good leader
Whether in school or after in a practice setting, achieving your goals will usually come down to one thing: being a good leader. Leaders in a dental practice are the backbone of an operation; a good leader can inspire an inexperienced team to do things that a team that has been together for 10+ years but with no leadership cannot. Because a successful leader is invaluable to any team, at Heartland Dental, we invest in leadership development for supported doctors. While a leader needs to be many things to be successful, here are just a few of the most important traits to have.